Engine



Nov. 28, 1933. A. M. NIVEN 1,937,124

' ENGINE Filed Oct. 51, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 I N V EN TOR.

firs/z is M Az'ven A. M. NIVEN Nov. 28, 1933.

ENGINE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Oct. 31 1930 iATTORNE Patented Nov. 28, 1933I K .ENGINE Archie M; Niven, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Con-f tinentalMotors CorporationpDetroiLj Mich 'a corporation of Virginia -1Application October 31,1930. SerialNo. 492,493

' contains. (01. 12a-s 1)- I 7;,

My invention relates to internal combustion engines and moreparticularly to that type of engine provided with one or more sleevevalves, although I wish it understoodthat the principles of my inventionmay be embodied in enginesother than those of the sleeve valve type.

In internal combustion engines and especially engines of the sleevevalve type, it is necessary to disassemble the engine at certain timesin order that repairs or adjustments may be made, or to permit thereplacement of worn parts. One of the difficulties in servicing engines,where the above disassembly is necessary, is the reassembly of theengine in such a way that the valve mecha- 15 nism will be correctlytimed with respect to the crankshaft. It is also difficult in theinitial assembly of the engine to correctly time the valve mechanismwith respect to the crankshaft; Va-

rious marking devices .and means have been generally employed forindicating the position of the valve operating mechanism orvalve shaftso that-the-same can be positioned in predetermined relation withrespect to the crankshaft, but these methods depend principally upon thekeenness and ability of the'mechanic for obtaining an accurate timingbetween the valve operating mechanism and the engine crankshaft,

and often the engine is not timed accurately because of the carelessnesson the part of the mechanic. Ina four stroke cycle Venginje'in which atwhich the markings on the gears will coincide, thus care must beexercised in selecting the correct crankshaft position on assemblyof theengine. V I

An object of my'invention is to provide anovel engine structure whereinthe timingof' the valve operating mechanism and the crankshaft may 40 beaccurately obtained in the initial assembly or reassembly'of the enginestructure by: providing a valve operating mechanism that is preferablycarried by the cylinder block in such a way that the valve drivingmechanism and the valve may be positioned in predetermined timedposition with respect to each other, said'valve driving mechanism :beingvadapted for operative connection with the engine crankshaft on assemblyof the engine block and crankcase.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel engine structureemploying a valve operating mechanism that is carried by the engineblock wherein a coupling means is interposed between the valve operatingmechanism and' the crankshaft. which is constructed for operative Figure5 is a detail sectional view taken on the ,line 5'5 of Figure 4. thevalveshaft rotates at one half crankshaft speed there are twopositionsof the crankshaft r -10 having cylinders 9 and the usual water'j acketsuitable type of bearings carried by the crankcase.

assembly onlyjwhenlsaidvalve operatingimechanism and crankshaft. arerelatively positioned in their proper predetermined timed relation.

Further features and objects of my invention relate to the novelcoupling means positioned intermediate the valve operatingmechanism andthe crankshaftthereby providing an engine as} {I sembly that may bereadily and economically,-

:manufactured and Which cancbe more readily serviced with a minimum oftime and labor. 1 For a more detailed'understanding of my invention,reference may be had to the accom! panying drawings which: illustrateone form which my. inventionmay assume,- and in which Figure 1 is avertical'transverse sectional view through an internal combustion engineof the sleeve valve type illustrating a valve operating mechanism anddrivingr imeans therefor constructed in accordance with my invention 1 vFigure 2 is a horizontal plan sectional View taken substantially on theline 2-2 of Figure l,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary distended perspective view illustrating aportion ofthe .valve operating mechanism such-as avalveshaft orlayshaft, a coupling and driving means, l 7 h 7 c Figure 4 is afragmentary elevationalaview of a portion of the coupling, and,-

a portion ofthe layshaft 8Q .1 I have chosen for purposes ofillustration, a sleeve valve engine comprising a cylinder blockthe'valve operating mechanism 16 and thecrankshaft 17, saidcrankshaftbeing supported by any A piston 8 is operativelysupportedwithin the 1 05 cylinder and sleeve valve and isconnc ted withthecrankshaft by a standard connecting rod 7.

A gear 18 is secured to one end ofthe crankshaft and engages a gear 19of larger diameter that is keyed or otherwise secured to a layshaft,driving .110

r v r block 10 and is .preferablyconstructed to,houseq V means ordriving shaft 20, thereby providing means for driving the layshaftdriving means at V one-half crankshaft speed fora four stroke cycleattached the sleeve driving links 24 for impart- I ing a combinedoscillating :an'd' reciprocating movement to the sleeve valve 14. Otherknown types of sleeve driving means may be employed if desired as thespecific form of sleeve driving links and associated parts does not initself form the subject matter of this invention.

f A'c'oupling means ispreferably positioned intermediate the layshaft 21and-the layshaft'driving means'2 O, this laysha ft driving means beingpreferably supported ina bearing 25 carried by the crankcase and ispreferably axially aligned with the layshaft axis. The coupling means Awhich I find very suitable for my purpose 'is kno'wn as an Oldhamcoupling, in its fundamental parts and which comprises a pair of members26 and 27 that are provided with a groove and tongue 28 and 29respectively. The tongue is adapted to slide in the groove and themember 27 carrying thetongue is preferably carried by, the layshaftwhile the member 26 carrying the groove ispre'f erably carried by the'layshaft driving means, the

member 26 beingadapted to be secured to the layshaft driving means by atongue and groove connection 30 and the screws 30-11,, which areprojected throughthe elongated slots 31in the member'26 and engaged inthe internally threaded holes 32 carried by the end of the layshaftdriving means 20. f e r Since the layshaft is journaled at spacedintervals to the cylinder block by means of the supports or brackets S,the said layshaf-t maybe bodily removed with the cylinder block,and'se'parated from the layshaft driving means carried by the crankcase.On disassemblingv the engine, i. e.,

relatively separating the cylinder block and crankcase, it Will be notedthat the'tongue' 2B-c'arried by one part of the coupling merely slidesout of the groove 28 carried by the other part of the coupling, therebydisconnecting the layshaft from the 'layshaft driving means. ble the"engine together soLthat the layshaft will be positioned in properpredetermined timed relation with respect to the crank'shaihl haveprovided means-whereby the members of :thecoupling device may beoperatively assembled together in only one position. Thisis accomplishedby providing end pl'ates' lfl and ll carried respecti vel'y on themembers 26 and 27 thereby. permitting the tongue 29 to slip in thegroove 28 in only one, direction. Proper timing or the engine is thusinsured because of the fact. that thevalve operating mechanism and thedriving means therefor be operatively assembled only when the saidlayshaft or valve operating mechanism and layshaft driving means arepositioned intheir proper predeterminedtimed relation.

- Since the gears 18' and 19 provide a speed're In order to assem ducingmeans driving the lay'shaft driving means 20 at one-half crankshaftspeed, the coupling device maybe thus adapted to connect the layshaftwith the layfshaftv driving means in direct driving relation.

It will be noted that I have provided a novel engine construction inwhicha' simple coupling device is employed for connecting the valveoperating mechanism With the driving means, said coupling means beingaxially alignedtherewith Y "and releasable on relative separation of theengine block and crankcase, said coupling means being constructed sothat the same can only be reassembled When the layshaft and layshaftdriving means are positioned in their proper predetermined timedrelation, thereby avoiding any likelihood of imperfect orhaphazardWorkmanship in reassembling the engine as the correct timing may beobtained independently of any efiort on the part of the mechanic.

- Although I have-illustrated but one form of my invention and havedescribed in detail but a single application thereof, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains thatvarious modifications and changes may be made therein ivithoutdepartingfrom the spirit of my invention or from the scope of the appendedclaims. 1 7

. What I claim as my invention is: n

1. In a multi-cylinder internal combusticnengine ofthe sleeve valve typehaving a crankshaft, a crankcase and a cylinder block-the combinationwith a sleeve valve in each cylinder, of sleeve valve Operating meanssupported en said block and including alayshaft, means supported by thecrankcase and including a laysliaft driving means 'operatively'connected with said crankshaft and adaptedfor operative connection withsaid layshaft, for operating said layshaft at substantially one-halfcrankshaft speed, and coupling means intermediate said layshaft' andsaid layshaft driv its ing means adapted to operatively connect same inbut one predetermined timed relation.

2. Ina inulti-cyli'nderinternal COII'lbtlStlOll engine or the sleevevalve type, a crankshaft, a layshaftcarried by thecylinder block andoperativ'ely between'the crankshaft and layshaft and includraga.reduction drive mechanism and a coupling 'device permitting relativeseparation of the crankshaft of the cylinder block 'with'the laysliaft'an'd sleeve valve, said coupling device positioned intermediate thereduction drive mechanism "and sleeve valve and constructed f or'operative'assembly only when the crankshaft and layshaft are in apredetermined timed relation.

' 3. In a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine or the sleeve valvetype, a crankshaft, a layshaft carried by the cylinder' block andoperatively connected with the sleevevalv'e, driving means between thecrankshaft and layshaft and including a reduction drive'mechanismand acoupling device permitting relative separation of the crankshaft and ofthe cylinder block with thelayshaft and sleeve valve, said couplingdevice positioned intermediate the reduction drive mechanism andlaysha'ft and constructe'dfor operative'assembly "onlywhen thecrankshaft and layshaft'a're in a predetermined timed relation. i

ARCHIE M. NIVEN.

connected with the sleeve valve, driving means

